Hi, everyone!
We’ve been back and forth between town and the bay, but most of my adventures have been happening at the bay! The last weekend in July we were there from Thursday evening to Monday afternoon. On Friday, Grandma and Grandpa took me to Sodus Point to watch sunset. There were lots of boats out watching sunset, too!
We were expecting special company on Saturday! Uncle Steven’s family had invited friends to go with them to Renaissance Faire, then stay over at the bay until Sunday. I helped Grandma get ready! First, we bought sweet corn for Saturday dinner and I helped husk it. Then we made overnight rise sticky buns to bake on Sunday morning.
When everybody got to the bay from Renaissance Faire, I was happy to see my friend Annie! Of course, after dinner, Uncle Steven built a fire so everybody could toast marshmallows for s’mores. I was in charge of all the ingredients!
Thomas showed me how to find the best spot in the fire for toasting marshmallows! He had a new shield from Renaissance Faire. Thomas had lots to tell me about his week at Hogwarts day camp!
On Sunday morning, just about everybody sat around watching game videos until the sticky buns were baked. But after breakfast, we all took to the water! Grandma taught Annie how to kayak. James gave her a demonstration in the small kayak, then he did some swimming. After that, guess what? He took out the other big kayak and was able to handle it! Thomas swam along while Annie and Grandma kayaked and got all the way to the middle of the bay!
There was still time before lunch, so Uncle Steven took his family and Annie’s family on a powerboat ride. I always like to go down to the dock to welcome back boat riders! They had a good time!
After all that activity, everybody needed some down time! Grandma and I worked on the big jigsaw puzzle. James settled in with electronics. Uncle Steven’s family and Annie’s family both left before dinner. Grandma and Grandpa took me back to the Point to watch another sunset. This one had pretty color changes in the clouds after the sun set.
I haven’t been getting many kayak rides because Grandma has been working hard weeding water chestnuts south of Grass Point. On Monday morning, two juvenile eagles showed up to supervise!
We didn’t get back out to the bay again until last Sunday. It has been very hot and humid, but it’s always cooler at the bay than in town. Grandma wanted to leave a thank you note for the cottage owner who disposed of all the water chestnuts she had weeded. I went along and made friends with lots of flowers! I hope the cottage owner finds the note on his door!
Today, I made a lot more flower friends! Grandma took me paddling over to Clark Creek. She said the rose mallows would be in bloom, but the buttonbush flowers would probably be all gone. We saw both, plus pickerel weed and arrowhead flowers.
Grandma had already weeded Clark Creek, so she wasn’t expecting to have to do any weeding with me along. She spotted two water chestnut plants and didn’t want to leave them to spread. So she put them on the front cockpit of the kayak and I was very careful to stay away from them! By August, Clark Creek is full of duck weed! The beavers have also felled some trees to keep anybody from getting close to their dam. On our way back downstream, a great blue heron flew ahead of us!
When we got back to our place, Grandma let me look at the water chestnut plants. They are very good at spreading and taking over all the water surface! During the growing season, the initial plant spreads by runners, so that each seed can result in four or five new plants. And each plant can develop six spiky seeds, or chestnuts, under the leaves. Some of those detach and float away to start new plantings. No wonder it takes so much effort to keep them under control!
Love,
Lion-san